Shrink fixture



O. O. RIESER SHRINK FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1935 INVENTOR. 0L VEI? BIA-55R.

ATTORNEYS- 0. O. RIESER SHRINK FIXTURE Jan. 4, 1938.

Filed Sept. 1a, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 IN VENTOR.

04/1/52 01 E/E-SER. BY Ma ATTORNEYqgq Patented- ,Ian. 4, 1938 EPATENT OFFICE SHRINK FIXTURE Oliver 0. Rieser, Oak Park, 111., assignor to The Richardson Company, Lockland, 0hio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 16, 1935, Serial No. 40,680

15 Claims.

My invention relates to shrink fixtures for use with rubber battery boxes after they have been removed from the vulcanizing mold; however, I do not intend to limit myself to this specific use, since other uses of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and I merely describe my preferred form as exemplary of a use of my invention.

Rubber battery boxes are molded from a suitable rubber composition in a'hot mold, in which they are also preferably vulcanized. When the formed and vulcanized box is taken from the mold, it is quite hot and somewhat soft; and while it is cooling it is very apt to shrink and. warp out of shape. It has been one practice in the art to plunge the hot box in cool water and thus to cool it quickly. This procedure has the decided disadvantage of providing no control of warping and shrinking. It has also been the practice in some instances to place the box over a mandrel or core conformed to the inside of the box and to permit it to cool while on this mandrel. This procedure, while better than the former, has the disadvantage of permitting the edges of the box to warp away from the mandrel and out of shape. The cooling of a formed rubber battery box while maintaining its shape is a difficult thing, and is the primary problem to which my invention is addressed.

It is an object of my invention to provide a shrinking fixture which, while permitting and assisting the box to 0001, will insure that the box, and especially the edges, will not warp and shrink out of shape.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a shrinking fixture which accomplishes the above, and which may be readily and quickly applied to the box.

A further object of my invention is to provide a shrinking fixture which permits the rapid cooling of the box by the use of rapid cooling media without the usual disadvantages of warping and shrinking inherent in rapid cooling.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter, or will be apparent Figure 3 is a perspective view of the latching pin.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of my novel shrinking fixture.

Briefly in the practice of my invention I provide a core or mandrel so configured as to conform to the inside of the finished and cool battery box, through which I run cool water. The hot box is placed over this core, and a spring frame is resiliently clamped around the edge of the box pressing it against the core. A stripper is provided for stripping the cooled box from the core, all of these parts being mounted in a convenient installation.

Referring to the drawings, I provide a core or mandrel 2 divided into three parts to conform to the inside of the cells of a battery box I. This core 2 is elongated so that its top will seat against the inside of the bottom of the box I, while the other end of the core will project substantially therebeyond. Water to cool the core 2 is run through it by means of the passageways Ill.

The encircling frame 3 comprises four sides of strap metal and hinged to each other by the hinges and pintles I2. There is an inner frame 4 composed of four strips which are independent of each other. These strips 4 contain a plurality of studs projecting therefrom with their shanks slidably riding or journaled in holes I3 in the outer frame 3. There are heads 5a on the ends of these studs 5 to limit the distance the inner strips 4 may come away from the frame 3. Compression springs 6 are placed around the shanks of the studs 5 between the inner strips 4 and the outer frame 3. The two free ends 3a and 3b: of the frame 3 carry arms I I and I I pivoted or hinged to them. These arms I I and I I hold the frame 3 in a rectangular shape, when engaged. To accomplish this, the two ends 3a and 3b are brought together to form a right angle by abutment, the arms II and I I' have cut-out notches I la in the form of a right angle, and are hinged at one leg of this angle so that when the arms II and I I are brought together and lapped these cut-out notches will lie over the corner of the two ends 3a and 3b and hold them in position. There is a hole I2 in each of the arms II and II which register when they are overlapped, and a pin I4 is provided which is slipped into these two holes and hold the two arms II and II in position. This pin I4 may have a bent over portion or arm Mo to prevent it from falling completely through the holes.

The frame 3 is positioned around the core 2 so that. when it is in the closed position it will be concentric therewith and is so positioned in a vertical position with respect to the core 2, that it will encompass and cover the upper or edge portion of a battery box I placed in position on the core 2. The frame 3 is held in position by means of a bracket H: which is bolted at one end by means of bolts IE to an intermediate portion of the frame 3, and atthe other end to'the core 2 itself. The bracket l5 is so conformed and bent as to 'maintain the position of the frame 3 concentric to the core 2, when the frame is closed. In the preferred form' shown in the drawings, the three segments of the core 2 and a base .IT are all cast in one piece. construction and makes the cooling of the-core ,2 much more uniform. The core 2 carrying the frame 3 may conveniently be mounted :upside" operation the hot battery box is. placed on the core 2 when the frame 3 is in the opened position, and then the frame 3; is closed around the battery I. The strips 4 press the edge of the box I against the core 2' and prevent it from warping while it is cooling. V V 7 To remove the box] from the core 2 after it has cooled, I provide a stripper comprising two rods 20 journaledin the base 1'! and terminating in a common yoke or'arbor'2l. Pins 9 are placed a through the rods 20 in such a position that the ends of the rods will be below the line of the edge of the box I when it is in. place on the core 2'. The ends of the rods 20 may terminatein abutments 23a, so as to give a broadbearing surface and not to mar the edge of the box I in stripping. There is an operating lever 2'l. pivotedrat a point along'its lengthto the table 18. One end of this lever 2! is pivoted to the arbor 2!a. By rocking the lever 2| it is apparent that thelends of the rods 29 will move upwardly andcontact the edge of the box l lifting it from the core 2 on further: movement. V

In myrpreferred embodiment I provide a control valver22 for controlling the inflow of the cooling water. 3 v C In operation, the hot battery box I is taken out of the mold and placed over the core 2 after the frame 3 has :been opened to permit the placing of the box 1 between it'and the core 2. The box I is pushed down over the core 2 until the core 2 completely fills it. The frame 3 is then closed and locked so that the sections 4 will press the sides of the box I against the core 2. This will insure the. even cooling of the box without any undesirable warping or shrinking. When the box has been cooled by the water running -through the'core, the frame 3 is opened and the stripper actuated. The cooling of a rubber box in this manner insures that thebox when finished and cooled will conform to exact-predetermined dimensional specifications, and will have true and parallel sides and dividing walls.

It is to be understood that modifications of my preferred embodiment may be made. without departing from the spirit of my invention. v,

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 7 is:

1. In a shrink fixture, the combination of a cooling mandrel and a resilient jacket encircling the same.-

This greatly facilitates said core comprising slidable cooling mandrel and a resilient jacket encircling the same, saidjacket comprising an outer hinged frame concentric with said mandrel when closed,

and: an inner frame resiliently urged from said outer frame 'and toward the mandrel. 4. In a shrink fixture, the combination of a cooling mandrel, means for flowing water there through; means for stripping said mandrel, and

1 a jacketremovably encircling the same.

,5. Ina shrink'fixture, the combination of a coolin'g'mandrel, means for flowing water therethrough, means for stripping said mandrel, and

'a jacket removably encircling the same, said jacket comprising hinged sections and means for holding said sections in, a continuous encircling strip, inner pads urged from said sections toward said mandrel by means of springs, and a bracket for holding said jacket in concentric position around said mandrel when said jacket is in'a continuous encircling strip. a

6. In a shrink fixture, the combination of a cooling mandrel, means for flowing water'therethrough, means for stripping said mandrel, and

a jacket removably encircling the'same', said jacket comprising hinged sections and means for holding said sections'in a continuous encircling strip, inner'pads urged from said sections toward 7 said mandrel by means of springs, and a bracket for holding said jacket in' concentric position around said mandrel when said jacket is in a continuous encircling strip, said bracket holding said jacket to said mandrel.

'7. A shrink frame comprising four strip sections hinged to each other and formable into a rectangle, means for holding said'frame in rectangular form, said means comprising an arm pivoted to each endofthe strip sections,'right angular notches in said arms and so positioned that when s'aid arms are-lapped they will'form a corner, and means for holding said arms'in 8. A shrink frame comprising four strip sections hinged to each other. and formable into a rectangle, means for holding said frame'in rectangular form, said means comprising an arm pivoted to each end of the strip sections, right angular notches in said arms and so positioned that when said arms are lapped they will forma corner, and means for holding said arms in lapped relation, four pressure pads attached parallel to said four sections, and means for urging said pressure pads away from said sectionsso as to form a resiliently expansible rectangle when said sections are in the form ofa frame, a water cooled core of generally rectangular cross section, and means for holding said frame concentric, therewith, said meanscomprising 'a bracket attached to one of said sections and the side of said core, and stripping means associated with the sides of said core.

abutments adjacent 9. In a shrink fixture, the combination of a water cooled core, resilient holding means forming a band around said core, and stripping means for said core, said resilient band being concen-- trio with said core, and means for opening said band to permit insertion of a hollow article over said core and between said resilient band and said core.

10. In a shrink fixture for cooling a rubber box, the combination of a water cooled core configured to fit into said box, a resilient band surrounding a portion of said box and said core, said band being splittable in order to permit inserting said box over said core, and stripping means for said core.

11. A shrink fixture for cooling a box, comprising a water cooled mandrel configured so as to fill said box, and means encircling the sides of said box and said core and pressing said sides against said core.

12. A shrink fixture for cooling a box, comprising a water cooled mandrel configured so as to fill said box, and means encircling the sides of said box and said core and pressing said sides against said core, said encircling means being splittable.

13. In combination a table, an inverted core on said table adapted to have a hollow vulcanized article placed thereover, a pivoted, separable,

said frame, said means permitting separation thereof, and stripping means for pressing said article upwardly from said core.

15. In combination a table, an inverted core on said table adapted to have a hollow vulcanized article placed thereover, a pivoted, separable, articulated, resilient frame for pressing said article against said core, and supporting means for said frame, said means permitting separation thereof, stripping means for pressing said article upwardly from said core, and operating means for said stripping means located beneath said table.

OLIVER O. RIESER. 

